Member States | United Nations United Nations On 19 September 1991, the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic informed the United Nations that it had changed its name to Belarus. UN Statistics on Bosnia and Herzegovina The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was an original Member of the United Nations, the Charter having been signed on its behalf on 26 June 1945 and ratified 19 October 1945, until its dissolution following the establishment and subsequent admission as new Members of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of Croatia, the Republic of Slovenia, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The Republic of Croatia was admitted as a Member of the United Nations by General Assembly resolution A/RES/46/238 of 22 May 1992. The Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina was admitted as a Member of the United Nations by General Assembly resolution A/RES/46/237 of 22 May 1992. The Republic of Slovenia was admitted as a Member of the United Nations by General Assembly resolution A/RES/46/236 of 22 May 1992.

By resolution A/RES/47/225 of 8 April 1993, the General Assembly decided to admit as a Member of the United Nations the State being provisionally referred to for all purposes within the United Nations as "The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" pending settlement of the difference that had arisen over its name. The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was admitted as a Member of the United Nations by General Assembly resolution A/RES/55/12 of 1 November 2000. On 4 February 2003, following the adoption and promulgation of the Constitutional Charter of Serbia and Montenegro by the Assembly of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the official name of " Federal Republic of Yugoslavia" was changed to Serbia and Montenegro. In a letter dated 3 June 2006, the President of the Republic of Serbia informed the Secretary-General that the membership of Serbia and Montenegro was being continued by the Republic of Serbia, following Montenegro's declaration of independence. Montenegro held a 21 May 2006 referendum and declared itself independent from Serbia on 3 June.

On 28 June 2006 it was accepted as a United Nations Member State by General Assembly resolution A/RES/60/264 . The Republic of Cabo Verde changed its official name from The Republic of Cape Verde on 24 October 2013 in a request submitted to the Secretary-General by the country's Permanent Representative to the United Nations. UN Statistics on Croatia The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was an original Member of the United Nations, the Charter having been signed on its behalf on 26 June 1945 and ratified 19 October 1945, until its dissolution following the establishment and subsequent admission as new Members of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of Croatia, the Republic of Slovenia, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina was admitted as a Member of the United Nations by General Assembly resolution A/RES/46/237 of 22 May 1992. The Republic of Croatia was admitted as a Member of the United Nations by General Assembly resolution A/RES/46/238 of 22 May 1992.

The Republic of Slovenia was admitted as a Member of the United Nations by General Assembly resolution A/RES/46/236 of 22 May 1992. By resolution A/RES/47/225 of 8 April 1993, the General Assembly decided to admit as a Member of the United Nations the State being provisionally referred to for all purposes within the United Nations as "The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" pending settlement of the difference that had arisen over its name. The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was admitted as a Member of the United Nations by General Assembly resolution A/RES/55/12 of 1 November 2000. On 4 February 2003, following the adoption and promulgation of the Constitutional Charter of Serbia and Montenegro by the Assembly of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the official name of " Federal Republic of Yugoslavia" was changed to Serbia and Montenegro. In a letter dated 3 June 2006, the President of the Republic of Serbia informed the Secretary-General that the membership of Serbia and Montenegro was being continued by the Republic of Serbia, following Montenegro's declaration of independence.

Montenegro held a 21 May 2006 referendum and declared itself independent from Serbia on 3 June. On 28 June 2006 it was accepted as a United Nations Member State by General Assembly resolution A/RES/60/264 . UN Statistics on Czech Republic Czechoslovakia was an original Member of the United Nations from 24 October 1945. In a letter dated 10 December 1992, its Permanent Representative informed the Secretary-General that the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic would cease to exist on 31 December 1992 and that the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic, as successor States, would apply for membership in the United Nations. Following the receipt of their application, the Security Council, on 8 January 1993, recommended to the General Assembly that the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic be both admitted to United Nations membership. Both the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic were thus admitted on 19 January of that year as Member States. On 17 May 2016 the Permanent Mission of the Czech Republic to the United Nations informed the UN that the short name to be used for the country is Czechia.

Democratic People's Republic of Korea 17-09-91 Democratic Republic of the Congo 20-09-60 Zaire joined the United Nations on 20 September 1960. On 17 May 1997, its name was changed to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. UN Statistics on Egypt Egypt and Syria were original Members of the United Nations from 24 October 1945. Following a plebiscite on 21 February 1958, the United Arab Republic was established by a union of Egypt and Syria and continued as a single Member. On 13 October 1961, Syria, having resumed its status as an independent State, resumed its separate membership in the United Nations. On 2 September 1971, the United Arab Republic changed its name to the Arab Republic of Egypt. Gambia (Islamic Republic of the) 21-09-65 UN Statistics on Germany The Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic were admitted to membership in the United Nations on 18 September 1973.

Through the accession of the German Democratic Republic to the Federal Republic of Germany, effective from 3 October 1990, the two German States united to form one sovereign State. UN Statistics on Indonesia By letter of 20 January 1965, Indonesia announced its decision to withdraw from the United Nations "at this stage and under the present circumstances". By telegram of 19 September 1966, it announced its decision "to resume full cooperation with the United Nations and to resume participation in its activities". On 28 September 1966, the General Assembly took note of this decision and the President invited representatives of Indonesia to take seats in the Assembly. Lao People’s Democratic Republic 14-12-55 UN Statistics on Libya Following the adoption by the General Assembly of resolution 66/1, the Permanent Mission of Libya to the United Nations formally notified the United Nations of a Declaration by the National Transitional Council of 3 August changing the official name of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya to "Libya" and changing Libya's national flag. UN Statistics on Malaysia The Federation of Malaya joined the United Nations on 17 September 1957.

On 16 September 1963, its name was changed to Malaysia, following the admission to the new federation of Singapore, Sabah (North Borneo) and Sarawak. Singapore became an independent State on 9 August 1965 and a Member of the United Nations on 21 September 1965. UN Statistics on Montenegro The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was an original Member of the United Nations, the Charter having been signed on its behalf on 26 June 1945 and ratified 19 October 1945, until its dissolution following the establishment and subsequent admission as new Members of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of Croatia, the Republic of Slovenia, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina was admitted as a Member of the United Nations by General Assembly resolution A/RES/46/237 of 22 May 1992. The Republic of Croatia was admitted as a Member of the United Nations by General Assembly resolution A/RES/46/238 of 22 May 1992.

The Republic of Slovenia was admitted as a Member of the United Nations by General Assembly resolution A/RES/46/236 of 22 May 1992. By resolution A/RES/47/225 of 8 April 1993, the General Assembly decided to admit as a Member of the United Nations the State being provisionally referred to for all purposes within the United Nations as "The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" pending settlement of the difference that had arisen over its name. The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was admitted as a Member of the United Nations by General Assembly resolution A/RES/55/12 of 1 November 2000. On 4 February 2003, following the adoption and promulgation of the Constitutional Charter of Serbia and Montenegro by the Assembly of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the official name of " Federal Republic of Yugoslavia" was changed to Serbia and Montenegro. In a letter dated 3 June 2006, the President of the Republic of Serbia informed the Secretary-General that the membership of Serbia and Montenegro was being continued by the Republic of Serbia, following Montenegro's declaration of independence.

Montenegro held a 21 May 2006 referendum and declared itself independent from Serbia on 3 June. On 28 June 2006 it was accepted as a United Nations Member State by General Assembly resolution A/RES/60/264 . UN Statistics on Russian Federation The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was an original Member of the United Nations from 24 October 1945. In a letter dated 24 December 1991, Boris Yeltsin, the President of the Russian Federation, informed the Secretary-General that the membership of the Soviet Union in the Security Council and all other United Nations organs was being continued by the Russian Federation with the support of the 11 member countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 16-09-80 UN Statistics on Serbia The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was an original Member of the United Nations, the Charter having been signed on its behalf on 26 June 1945 and ratified 19 October 1945, until its dissolution following the establishment and subsequent admission as new Members of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of Croatia, the Republic of Slovenia, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina was admitted as a Member of the United Nations by General Assembly resolution A/RES/46/237 of 22 May 1992. The Republic of Croatia was admitted as a Member of the United Nations by General Assembly resolution A/RES/46/238 of 22 May 1992. The Republic of Slovenia was admitted as a Member of the United Nations by General Assembly resolution A/RES/46/236 of 22 May 1992.

By resolution A/RES/47/225 of 8 April 1993, the General Assembly decided to admit as a Member of the United Nations the State being provisionally referred to for all purposes within the United Nations as "The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" pending settlement of the difference that had arisen over its name. The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was admitted as a Member of the United Nations by General Assembly resolution A/RES/55/12 of 1 November 2000. On 4 February 2003, following the adoption and promulgation of the Constitutional Charter of Serbia and Montenegro by the Assembly of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the official name of " Federal Republic of Yugoslavia" was changed to Serbia and Montenegro. In a letter dated 3 June 2006, the President of the Republic of Serbia informed the Secretary-General that the membership of Serbia and Montenegro was being continued by the Republic of Serbia, following Montenegro's declaration of independence. UN Statistics on Singapore The Federation of Malaya joined the United Nations on 17 September 1957.

On 16 September 1963, its name was changed to Malaysia, following the admission to the new federation of Singapore, Sabah (North Borneo) and Sarawak. Singapore became an independent State on 9 August 1965 and a Member of the United Nations on 21 September 1965. UN Statistics on Slovakia Czechoslovakia was an original Member of the United Nations from 24 October 1945. In a letter dated 10 December 1992, its Permanent Representative informed the Secretary-General that the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic would cease to exist on 31 December 1992 and that the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic, as successor States, would apply for membership in the United Nations. Following the receipt of their application, the Security Council, on 8 January 1993, recommended to the General Assembly that the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic be both admitted to United Nations membership. Both the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic were thus admitted on 19 January of that year as Member States.

UN Statistics on Slovenia The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was an original Member of the United Nations, the Charter having been signed on its behalf on 26 June 1945 and ratified 19 October 1945, until its dissolution following the establishment and subsequent admission as new Members of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of Croatia, the Republic of Slovenia, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina was admitted as a Member of the United Nations by General Assembly resolution A/RES/46/237 of 22 May 1992. The Republic of Croatia was admitted as a Member of the United Nations by General Assembly resolution A/RES/46/238 of 22 May 1992. The Republic of Slovenia was admitted as a Member of the United Nations by General Assembly resolution A/RES/46/236 of 22 May 1992.

By resolution A/RES/47/225 of 8 April 1993, the General Assembly decided to admit as a Member of the United Nations the State being provisionally referred to for all purposes within the United Nations as "The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" pending settlement of the difference that had arisen over its name. The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was admitted as a Member of the United Nations by General Assembly resolution A/RES/55/12 of 1 November 2000. On 4 February 2003, following the adoption and promulgation of the Constitutional Charter of Serbia and Montenegro by the Assembly of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the official name of " Federal Republic of Yugoslavia" was changed to Serbia and Montenegro. In a letter dated 3 June 2006, the President of the Republic of Serbia informed the Secretary-General that the membership of Serbia and Montenegro was being continued by the Republic of Serbia, following Montenegro's declaration of independence. Montenegro held a 21 May 2006 referendum and declared itself independent from Serbia on 3 June.

On 28 June 2006 it was accepted as a United Nations Member State by General Assembly resolution A/RES/60/264 . UN Statistics on South Sudan The Republic of South Sudan formally seceded from Sudan on 9 July 2011 as a result of an internationally monitored referendum held in January 2011, and ‎was admitted as a new Member State ‎by the United Nations General Assembly on 14 ‎July 2011. UN Statistics on Syrian Arab Republic Egypt and Syria were original Members of the United Nations from 24 October 1945. Following a plebiscite on 21 February 1958, the United Arab Republic was established by a union of Egypt and Syria and continued as a single Member. On 13 October 1961, Syria, having resumed its status as an independent State, resumed its separate membership in the United Nations. On 2 September 1971, the United Arab Republic changed its name to the Arab Republic of Egypt.

The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 08-04-93 UN Statistics on The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was an original Member of the United Nations, the Charter having been signed on its behalf on 26 June 1945 and ratified 19 October 1945, until its dissolution following the establishment and subsequent admission as new Members of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of Croatia, the Republic of Slovenia, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina was admitted as a Member of the United Nations by General Assembly resolution A/RES/46/237 of 22 May 1992. The Republic of Croatia was admitted as a Member of the United Nations by General Assembly resolution A/RES/46/238 of 22 May 1992. The Republic of Slovenia was admitted as a Member of the United Nations by General Assembly resolution A/RES/46/236 of 22 May 1992.

By resolution A/RES/47/225 of 8 April 1993, the General Assembly decided to admit as a Member of the United Nations the State being provisionally referred to for all purposes within the United Nations as "The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" pending settlement of the difference that had arisen over its name. The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was admitted as a Member of the United Nations by General Assembly resolution A/RES/55/12 of 1 November 2000. On 4 February 2003, following the adoption and promulgation of the Constitutional Charter of Serbia and Montenegro by the Assembly of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the official name of " Federal Republic of Yugoslavia" was changed to Serbia and Montenegro. In a letter dated 3 June 2006, the President of the Republic of Serbia informed the Secretary-General that the membership of Serbia and Montenegro was being continued by the Republic of Serbia, following Montenegro's declaration of independence. Montenegro held a 21 May 2006 referendum and declared itself independent from Serbia on 3 June.

On 28 June 2006 it was accepted as a United Nations Member State by General Assembly resolution A/RES/60/264 . United Nations Foundation - The UN Security Council The UN Security Council PRINT THIS PAGE The UN Security Council On October 24, 1945, the victors of World War II — China, the U.S.S.R., France, the United Kingdom, and the United States — ratified the UN Charter, creating the Security Council and establishing themselves as its five permanent members with the unique ability to veto resolutions. Originally there were six temporary members, rotating every two years and distributed on an equitable geographic basis. That rule was more explicitly defined in 1965, when the number of temporary members was increased to ten (five from Africa and Asia, one from Eastern Europe, two from Latin America and the Caribbean, and two from Western Europe). The first temporary members were Australia, Brazil, Egypt, Mexico, the Netherlands, and Poland.

The Charter also established the purpose of the Council, to “investigate any dispute, or any situation which might lead to international friction or give rise to a dispute, in order to determine whether the continuance of the dispute or situation is likely to endanger the maintenance of international peace and security” and to act accordingly, by: • Investigating any situation threatening international peace; • Recommending procedures for peaceful resolution of a dispute; • Calling upon other member nations to completely or partially interrupt economic relations as well as sea, air, postal, and radio communications, or to sever diplomatic relations; and • Enforcing its decisions militarily, if necessary. On January 17, 1946, the Security Council met for the first time in London. The first UN peacekeeping mission was deployed in 1948 to the Middle East; there have been 60 more. Over the last 60 years, the Security Council has taken action to defuse innumerable international crises, the most recent of which include those in North Korea, Iran, and Lebanon.

Membership Reform There have been frequent calls to reform the membership of the UN Security Council, most of which include accepting Japan, Germany, India, and Brazil (known as the G4) as permanent members. Japan and Germany are the second and third largest contributors to the UN budget respectively. India is a nuclear power, the world’s largest democracy, and the second most populous nation. Brazil is the largest, most populous, and most prosperous nation in Latin America. The United Kingdom, France, and Russia are said to support permanent G4 membership on the Security Council. The Bush Administration has said that it supports Japan’s bid. In addition to the proposal to make the G4 permanent members of the Security Council, there have been several other proposals floated by various groups and individual countries, none of which have met with positive response from the Security Council. Donate Overview of the United Nations Security Council By Matt Rosenberg Updated August 31, 2015. The United Nations Security Council is the most powerful body of the United Nations . The Security Council can authorize the deployment of troops from United Nations member countries , mandate cease-fire during conflict, and can impose economic penalties on countries. The United Nations Security Council is composed of representatives from fifteen countries .

Five of the Security Council members are permanent members. The original five permanent members were the United States, United Kingdom, Republic of China (Taiwan), Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and France. These five countries were the primary victorious countries of World War II . In 1973, Taiwan was replaced by the People's Republic of China on the Security Council and after the fall of the USSR in 1991, the USSR's spot was occupied by Russia. Thus, the current five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council are: United States, United Kingdom, China, Russia, and France. continue reading below our video What Is the UN? Each of the five permanent members of the Security Council has veto power over any matter voted upon by the Security Council. This means that all five permanent members of the Security Council must agree to endorse any measure for it to pass. Nonetheless, the Security Council has passed more than 1700 resolutions since its founding in 1946. The remaining ten non-permanent members of the total membership of fifteen countries are chosen based on various regions of the world. Almost every United Nations member country is a member of a regional grouping. The regional groupings include...

the Western European and Others Group the Eastern European Group Latin American and Caribbean Group the Asian Group the African Group Interestingly, the United States and Kiribati are the two countries which are not members of any group. Australia, Canada, Israel, and New Zealand are all part of the Western European and Others Group. The ten non-permanent members serve two year terms and half are replaced each year in annual elections. Each region votes for its own representatives and the United Nations General Assembly approves the selections. The division among the ten non-permanent members is as follows: Africa – three members, Western Europe and Others – two members, Latin America and Caribbean – two members, Asia – two members, and Eastern Europe – one member. Current members of the United Nations Security Council can be found on this listing of Security Council Members . There has been controversy over the composition of the permanent members and the veto power for decades. Brazil, Germany, Japan and India all seek inclusion as permanent members of the Security Council and recommend enlargement of the Security Council to twenty-five members. Any proposal to modify the organization of the Security Council would require the approval of two-thirds of the United Nations General Assembly (193 UN member countries as of 2012).

The presidency of the United Nations Security Council rotates on a monthly basis alphabetically among all of the members based on their English name . Since the United Nations Security Council must be able to act quickly during times of international emergency, a representative from each Security Council member country must be present at all times at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. How are the non-permanent members of the Security Council selected? - Ask DAG! How are the non-permanent members of the Security Council selected? Ask DAG! How are the non-permanent members of the Security Council selected? Last Updated: Nov 04, 2016 Views: 11519 Each year, the General Assembly elects five non-permanent members (out of ten in total) for a two-year term. The ten non-permanent seats are distributed on a regional basis: five for African and Asian countries; one for Eastern European countries; two for Latin American and Caribbean countries; two for Western European and other countries. Article 23 of the UN Charter concerns the composition of the Security Council. Rule 142-144 of the Rules of Procedure of the General Assembly concerns the Security Council elections.

Commentaries on the Charter, the Repertoire of Practice of the Security Council, and the Repertory of Practice of the UN Organs, may all provide additional information. Links & Files United Nations Security Council Fast Facts - CNN.com United Nations Security Council Fast Facts CNN Library Updated 1:55 PM ET, Wed April 13, 2016 Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what's happening in the world as it unfolds. UN Security Council members vote to adopt sanctions against North Korea in 2013. (CNN) Here's a look at the United Nations Security Council , a 15 member body within the United Nations. Overview: The Security Council has 15 members. There are five permanent members: the United States, the Russian Federation , France, China, and the United Kingdom. Ten temporary members are elected by the General Assembly for two-year terms. In 2016, the rotating members of the Security Council are Angola, Malaysia , New Zealand, Spain and Venezuela . Read More U.N. Security Council Voting: To be approved, a Council resolution must have nine "YES" votes out of 15 and no "NO" votes from any of the five permanent members.

Each Council member has one vote. A "NO" vote from one of the five permanent members kills the resolution. There is no such thing as a "VETO" vote in formal U.N. rules, though a "NO" vote from a permanent member has the effect of vetoing a resolution. If a member "ABSTAINS" from voting, it does not count as either a "YES" or "NO" vote. Members raise their hands to vote, and sit at a horseshoe-shaped table. Each of the five Permanent Members have gone to war or invaded a country without Security Council approval. Security Council Vetoes: A list of resolutions presented to the Security Council, along with the permanent member negative votes, can be found here . U.N. Security Council Presidency: How the UN Security Council Works How the United Nations Security Council Works: The Security Council is made up of 15 member states; five (the United Kingdom, China, France, Russia, and the United States) are permanent members, and 10 are nonpermanent members elected by the General Assembly to serve for two-year terms.

Elections of nonpermanent members are staggered, with five brought onto the council each year; a retiring member is not eligible for immediate re-election. Since 1963, the geographic distribution of the 10 nonpermanent members has been mandated as: five from African and Asian states; one from Eastern European states, two from Latin American and Caribbean states, and two from Western European and other states. The presidency of the Security Council rotates among council member states according to the alphabetical order of their names (as the names are written in English). Each council president holds office for one month. Under Article 24(1) of the U.N. Charter, the Security Council is entrusted with the maintenance of international peace and security. It says: "In order to ensure prompt and effective action by the United Nations, its Members confer on the Security Council primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, and agree that in carrying out its duties under this responsibility the Security Council acts on their behalf." Article 25 of the charter makes clear that the Security Council's decisions are binding on member states.

It says: "The members of the United Nations agree to accept and carry out the decisions of the Security Council in accordance with the present Charter." P-5 Members: Although the Security Council has a total of 15 members, only five of these members-China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States-have a permanent seat on the council. Known as the "P-5" (permanent-five), these are the only states that may veto resolutions before the council. (Vetoes are allowed only on non-procedural questions.) Article 27 of the charter regulates voting procedures in the Security Council. It says: 1. Each member of the Security Council shall have one vote. 2. Decisions of the Security Council on procedural matters shall be made by an affirmative vote of nine members. 3. Decisions of the Security Council on all other matters shall be made by an affirmative vote of nine members including the concurring votes of the permanent members; provided that, in decisions under Chapter VIï¿½a party to a dispute shall refrain from voting.

This means that on nonprocedural issues, such as a resolution authorizing the use of force against Iraq, nine members of the Security Council must vote for it-and none of the permanent-five members may veto it-if it is to pass. Abstentions, however, are not considered vetoes. UN Security Council - Profile - BBC News UN Security Council - Profile Close share panel Image caption The council sits in the United Nations' headquarters in New York The United Nations rose from the ashes of World War II as an organisation of "peace-loving" states. It aimed to spare succeeding generations from the scourge of armed conflict, and its Security Council - which met for the first time in 1946 - was specifically tasked with ensuring global peace and security. Once widely criticised as a talking-shop, the council has had a more active role on the world stage in recent years, introducing sanctions regimes and authorising the use of force in conflicts. Members Five nations are permanently represented on the Security Council. They reflect the post-war power structure that held sway when the council was formed. Permanent members United Kingdom United States Members of this privileged group work alongside 10 non-permanent member countries.

Each member - permanent or otherwise - holds the presidency of the council for a one-month period, on a rotating basis. The non-permanent members are elected for two-year terms by members of the UN General Assembly, the body that represents all UN members. The aim is to achieve a regional balance, with five Asian or African members, two Latin American members, one east European, and two members from western Europe or other regions making up the mix of non-permanent members. Nations compete keenly for council membership, maybe because of the prestige attached, or the chance to raise an issue that is in the national interest. Some countries announce their candidacy many years in advance and actively canvass votes. Decision-making Draft resolutions are drawn up by one or more members of the council and circulated privately to the others. Image caption UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon The drafts can be negotiated or changed in a process called "consultations". If agreed to by all members, the resolution is formally proposed to the council. Each member has one vote. Decisions on what the council calls "substantive" issues need a majority of nine votes before they can be passed, including either votes or abstentions from all five permanent members.

Not surprisingly, the question of whether an issue is substantive or not is itself the subject of lively debate.

Right of veto 1946 - First Security Council meeting in London 1950 - Members urged to help South Korea repel invasion from north 1963 - Adopts voluntary arms embargo against South Africa 1964 - Sends peacekeepers to Cyprus 1977 - Adopts mandatory arms embargo against South Africa 1990 - Authorises force to oust Iraqi forces from Kuwait 1992 - Applies sanctions on Libya after Lockerbie bombing 1993 - Sets up war crimes tribunal in The Hague to deal with Balkan war crimes 1999 - Authorises East Timor peacekeeping force 1999 - Kosovo crisis: US-led alliance launches military action without UNSC approval 2001 - Adopts resolution 1373 on anti-terror strategies, after September 11 attacks on US 2002 - Adopts resolution 1441, a mandate to verify Iraq's compliance with WMD obligations 2005 - Applies sanctions on those guilty of atrocities in Sudan's Darfur 2006 - Applies sanctions on North Korea following Pyongyang's nuclear test 2008 - Applies sanctions to Pakistani Lashkar

-e-Taiba group after Mumbai attacks 2009 - Applies tougher sanctions on North Korea after Pyongyang carries out another nuclear test 2010 - Imposes sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme 2011 - Authorises no-fly-zone over Libya to protect civilian population 2011-2 - Russia and China veto resolutions demanding that the Syria government end all human rights violations Thus, each of the permanent members has the right of veto; if one of them votes against a resolution, it cannot be passed.

But a resolution can be passed if a permanent member abstains from the vote. A general decline in the use of the veto, which followed the end of the Cold War, helped the council to become a more effective decision-maker. The Security Council attaches great importance to preventing armed conflict in the first place, but once a dispute has flared, its first aim is to seek a diplomatic solution. If a conflict persists, the Security Council may work towards a ceasefire and deploy peacekeepers. It can order UN nations to impose sanctions and, as a last resort, it may authorise military action against an aggressor. Expansion The status quo of the permanent members had not changed since the council's first meeting in 1946, and the make-up of the Security Council has climbed up the UN agenda. Change faces numerous hurdles, but the likelihood of reform was seen as having been boosted by an announcement by President Barack Obama that the US has backed India's ambition to become a permanent member of the UN Security Council. India, Germany, Japan and Brazil - known as the G4 - and the African Union are among those who have long lobbied for coveted permanent-member status.

A working group on reform set up under the UN General Assembly in 1993 had made little progress on the matter, with a lack of consensus over potential candidates. The then Secretary-General Kofi Annan warned the lack of reform could weaken the council's standing in the world. Iraq The Security Council came under strong pressure from US President George W Bush in the run-up to the 2003 US-led Iraq campaign. Mr Bush cited Baghdad's "decade of defiance" of Security Council resolutions. "Will the UN serve the purpose of its founding... or will it be irrelevant," he asked in a speech to the General Assembly in September 2002. Image caption Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan The Iraqi crisis tested the Security Council's credibility and authority to the limit. Resolution 1441, passed by the council, demanded that Iraq disarm and cooperate with weapons inspectors. But some permanent members, including France and Russia, disagreed with the US-UK assertion that 1441 allowed military action. With France proposing to veto a second resolution authorising action, the decision to go to war was made without Security Council approval. The failure of diplomacy was seen as a bad portent for the Security Council's future prospects.

More generally, the Security Council has been criticised for not taking forceful action until a catastrophe or conflict unfolds, even when this might have been predicted, as in the Rwandan genocide of 1994. Mindful of this, and the bombing campaign against Yugoslavia in 1999, which was undertaken without council approval, leaders of all 15 member states met in 2000 to adopt measures that would give the organisation more teeth, including a review of peacekeeping operations. More recently the Security Council has acted with greater decisiveness. It has imposed sanctions on North Korea and Iran over their nuclear programmes, and authorised a no-fly zone over Libya that helped indirectly to bring down the Gaddafi government. Cold War fault lines endure, however, as became evident when Russia and China in 2012 vetoed a series of Security Council resolutions aimed at putting pressure on the Syrian regime of President Bashar al-Assad. Overview of the United Nations Security Council By Matt Rosenberg Updated August 31, 2015. The United Nations Security Council is the most powerful body of the United Nations . The Security Council can authorize the deployment of troops from United Nations member countries , mandate cease-fire during conflict, and can impose economic penalties on countries.

The United Nations Security Council is composed of representatives from fifteen countries . Five of the Security Council members are permanent members. The original five permanent members were the United States, United Kingdom, Republic of China (Taiwan), Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and France. These five countries were the primary victorious countries of World War II . In 1973, Taiwan was replaced by the People's Republic of China on the Security Council and after the fall of the USSR in 1991, the USSR's spot was occupied by Russia. Thus, the current five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council are: United States, United Kingdom, China, Russia, and France. continue reading below our video What Is the UN? Each of the five permanent members of the Security Council has veto power over any matter voted upon by the Security Council. This means that all five permanent members of the Security Council must agree to endorse any measure for it to pass. Nonetheless, the Security Council has passed more than 1700 resolutions since its founding in 1946. The remaining ten non-permanent members of the total membership of fifteen countries are chosen based on various regions of the world.

Almost every United Nations member country is a member of a regional grouping. The regional groupings include... the Western European and Others Group the Eastern European Group Latin American and Caribbean Group the Asian Group the African Group Interestingly, the United States and Kiribati are the two countries which are not members of any group. Australia, Canada, Israel, and New Zealand are all part of the Western European and Others Group. The ten non-permanent members serve two year terms and half are replaced each year in annual elections. Each region votes for its own representatives and the United Nations General Assembly approves the selections. The division among the ten non-permanent members is as follows: Africa – three members, Western Europe and Others – two members, Latin America and Caribbean – two members, Asia – two members, and Eastern Europe – one member. Current members of the United Nations Security Council can be found on this listing of Security Council Members . There has been controversy over the composition of the permanent members and the veto power for decades. Brazil, Germany, Japan and India all seek inclusion as permanent members of the Security Council and recommend enlargement of the Security Council to twenty-five members.

Any proposal to modify the organization of the Security Council would require the approval of two-thirds of the United Nations General Assembly (193 UN member countries as of 2012). The presidency of the United Nations Security Council rotates on a monthly basis alphabetically among all of the members based on their English name . Since the United Nations Security Council must be able to act quickly during times of international emergency, a representative from each Security Council member country must be present at all times at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City.

Question: How many permanent members are there on the Security Council of the United Nations?
Answer: FIVE